Ruffling and stitching machine



Aug. 15, 1939. F. M. CARD RUFFLING AND STITCHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III] n 3 wuwwtom fiedem'e Card Aug. 15, 1939. F. M. CARD RUFFLING AND STITCHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 amen whom Frederic M Gard wifwesi Patented Aug. 15, 1 939 UNETED STATEfi PATENT orrics RUFFLING AND STITTCHING MACHINE Frederic M. Card, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a, corporation of New Jersey Application December 20, 1938, Serial No. 246,779

19 Claims.

The invention consists in the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the rufller-blade actuating mechanism contained in a sewing machine bracket-arm head which is illustrated in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section, of the ruffler-blade actuating mechanism.v Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the bracket-arm head of the machine, on santially the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section, partly in front elevation, of the rufiler-blade carrierarm. Fig. 5

represents a perspective View of the ruffler-blade and its carrier-foot. Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the sewing machine presser-foot. Fig. 7 represents a detail crosssectional view of the slide-block and its pathcontrolling guideway.

sewing machine referred to has the usual bellow bracket-arm l, terminating at its free end a head 2. Suitably journaled in the bracket- V-"rm l is a horizontally disposed rotary actuating shaft 3, upon one end. of which is secured a countm balanced crank-disk 4 provided with a crankp n 5. The crank-pin 5 is connected by a link 6 to a needle-bar carrying at its lower end a needle 3. said needle-bar being journaled for vertical reciprocation in suitable bearings in the hear 2.

Also iournaled for endwise vertical movement in the head 2 is the usual spring-depressed presser-bar 9, to the lower end of which is secured the shank of a presser-foot H1. The presser-foot H! has a sole-plate ll bent to provide an upturned tee-port on M2, the sole-plate H having at the bend ther of a needle-aperture l3. Rising from the sole-plate i l, rearwardly of the needle-aperure is a vertically-apertured boss I4 upon which a cover-plate i5 is detachably secured by screw I6. Vertically slidable in the aperture of ac boss is a stem El rising from an auxiliary pressure-shoe IS. The pressure-shoe i8 is disnosed in. a recess l9 which is provided in the under side of the sole-plate ll rearwardly of the needle-aperture l3 to extend lengthwise in the line of seam formation. Embracing the stem I1 is a spring 20 functioning to yieldingly depress the pressure-shoe l8 to an extent limited by a screw 2!, said screw 2| entering a stem-recess 22 5 which provides sufiicient clearance for limited vertical movement of the pressure-shoe. Any suitable form of looper or loop-taker mechanism may be employed for coaction with the needle 8 in the formation of stitches. 10

At the side of the crank-disk 4 opposite to the crank-pin 5 is an eccentric 24 which, as in the present case, may be integral with said crankdisk. Embracing the eccentric 24 is a strap 25 at the upper end of a generally vertically directed 15' pitman 23. The pitman 26 extends through a slot 2! in the bracket-arm head 4 and the lower end of said pitman pivotally carries a slide-block 28, provided with a lateral pivot-boss 28' which enters the apertured lower end of said pitman 26 and g is secured by a screw 29.

The block 28 is slidingly disposed for reciprocation in a segmental grove or guideway 30 which determines the path of reciprocation of said slide-block. The guideway 30 is provided in an 5 angularly adjustable segment-lever 3i disposed below the bracket-arm l and adjacent the head 2, said segment-lever being carried by a fulcrumpin 32 which extends laterally from said lever.

The fulcrum-pin 32 is journaled in a bushing 33 39 and is held therein by a screw 32', to provide for rocking movements of the segment-lever 3| on an axis substantially parallel to the actuating shaft 3, said bushing 33 being secured by a screw St in an aperture in the bracket-arm head 2. 35 The slide-block boss 28 also pivotally enters the apertured rearward end of a link 35, of which the forward end is connected by the pivot-screw 36 to a crank-arm 31 clamped by a screw 38 upon a rLniier-blade actuating rock-shaft 39.

Extending rearwardly from the segment-lever 3! is an arm 45 to which is connected the lower end of a coil-spring M anchored at its upper end to a pin 42 extending from the bracket-arm head 2. The spring 4! functions to bias the seg- 4 ment-lever 3i yieldingly forwardly into engagement with an adjustable stop-screw 43 carried by the bracket-arm head 2. The radius of curvature of the segmental guideway 30 corresponds to the length of the link 35, whereby the pivotal axis 36 5g; of said link is the center of curvature of the guideway 33 in one position of the segment-lever 3 i. This normal neutral position of the segmentlcver is, in the present case, determined by the stop-screw 43 so that the slide-block 28 is recip- 55- rocated idly in-the guideway 30 by the eccentric 24 and the ruffler-blade actuating rock-shaft 39 remains normally stationary.

In order to tilt the segment-lever 3| into a position of the guideway 38 whereby the rockshaft 39 is actuated, the arm 49 of said segmentlever is connected by a link 45 to a crank-arm 46 of a rock-shaft 41. The rock-shaft 41 is jour-' naled in suitable bearings, as 48, at the rear side of the bracket-arm I and has another crank-arm 49 suitably connected to a treadle or knee-shift (not shown). Disposed below the segment-lever arm 49 in position to be engaged by said arm is an adjustable stop-screw 50 threaded into a block 5| secured by screws 52 upon the head 2 at the rearward side thereof. The stop-screw 50 is opposed by a jam-screw 53 which is also threaded into the block 5| and serves to secure said stopscrew 50.

The ruffier-blade actuating rock-shaft 39 is horizontally disposed at the lower front side of the bracket-arm head 2 and'is substantially parallel to the needle-reciprocating shaft 3, said rockshaft 39 being journaled in a bearing-aperture provided in a bracket-section 54 secured by screws 55 to the under side of the head 2. Secured upon one end of the rock-shaft 39 by a screw 56 is a lateral boss 51 of a carrier-arm 58 depending from the rock-shaft 39. The flattened lower end of the carrier-arm 58 has a transverse bearing aperture 59 to pivotally receive a lateral bearing-boss 6|) of an angular rufller-blade carrying foot 6|, said foot being pivotally secured to the carrier-arm 58 by a screw 62 threaded into the foot-boss 60.

ing the retracting movements of the ruffier-blade.

Secured upon the pivotal carrier-foot 6 by screws 63, is a ruffier-blade 64 having a serrated free end underlying the toe I2 of the presser-foot ID. A spring 65, secured by a screw 66 to the carrierarm 58, bears'upon the carrier-foot 6| to yieldingly depress the serrated end of the ruffler-blade 64,

The machine is preferably provided with the usual separator-blade 61 disposed below the rufiler-blade 64, the free end of the blade 61 also extending under the toe of the presser-foot I0 and cooperating therewith to hold formed ruflles dur- The separatonblade' 6'1 is suitably attached to a supporting plate 68 secured upon the machine cloth-plate indicated by a-dotdash line in Fig. l of v the drawings, the separator-blade 6! being spaced from the cloth-plate; Suitable other attachments may also be employed dependent upon the character of the work to be performedas for example, the folder 69 also secured to the supporting plate- 68. V g a In the neutral position of the rufllerblade actuating mechanism, the free end of the ruffler-blade 64 is tilted upwardly to provide work-clearance. To this end, the rufiler-blade carrier-foot 6| is yieldingly engaged at the side thereof opposite the free end of the ruilier-blade 64 by the lower end of a carrier-foot tilting rod 10. The rod 10 is endwise slidably disposed in a bore provided in andextending throughout the length of the carrier-arm 58. The rod 18 is shoulderedbetween its ends, the reduced portion of said rod being embraced within the carrier-arm 58 by a spring 12 which yieldinglybiases the rod 10 upwardly and away from the carrier-foot 6|. Upward movement of the rod 10 under the action of the spring 12 is limited by a cross-pin 13in the carrier-arm 58 and passing through a short slot 14 in the upper end of the rod H1.

The upper end of the rod 10 protrudes from the carrier-arm 58 for engagement by the laterally offset arm 15 at one end of a ruffier-bladetilting V rock-shaft 16. The rock-shaft I6 is substantially parallel to the rufiler-blade actuating rock-shaft 39 and is journaled above the latter in a horizontal bearing-aperture in the bracket-section 54. At its other end, the rock-shaft 16 carries a rearwardly extending crank-arm 11 provided at its free end with a lateral pin 18. The crank-arm pin 18 is embraced by the forked arm of a short lever 19 fulcrumed between its ends upon a pivot-screw threaded into the head 2 for rocking movements of the lever 19 about an axis substantially parallel to the rock-shaft 16. The other arm of the lever 19 underlies a forwardly extending arm 8| of the segment-lever 3| for engagement by said arm 8|.

The bracket-section 54 extends rearwardly under the machine bracket-arm and, adjacent the bracket-arm head 2, is recessed to provide a substantially U-shaped lubricant-reservoir 82 which houses the inner end of the rock-shaft 39. At its rearward end, the bracket-section 54 has a forwardly extending flange 83 which overhangs the rearward portion of the reservoir 82 toretain the lubricant within the reservoir when the machine head is tilted back for access to the mechae nism below the cloth-plate. Disposed in the reservoir 82 for immersion in the lubricant contained therein is the lower end of a lubricant-conducting wick. 84, of which the upper end is wrapped around the ends of the pitman 26 and the link 35 which embraces the slide-block boss 28, thereby to pro-' vide for lubrication of the slide-block connection a with said link and pitman.

Complemental to the bracket-section 54, as a housing for the ruffler-blade actuating connections with the segment-lever 3|, is a bracket-section 85 secured by screws 86 to the bracket-arm head 2. As applied to the machine, the bracket-sections 54 and 85 constitute extensions of the bracket-arm head 2, said bracket-sections 54 and 85 housing the actuating mechanism for the ruffler-blade carrier and also the ruffler-blade tilting-rod connections with said actuatingmechanism. The rear wall of the bracket-section 85 is partly cut away to provide clearance for the segment-lever arm 48- and a guard-pad 81 of felt or other suitable lubricant-absorbent material is secured by a screw 88 to the inner face of said rear wall for sliding engagement by the segment-lever arm 40. The arrangement described provides for detachment of the bracket-section 85 fromthema- V chine, without disturbing the ruffler-b-lade actuating connections 7 or the reservoir-containing bracket-section 54: Therefore, whilesaid connec-" in its forwardly tilted or neutral position deter- In this position of mined by the stop-screw 43. the segment-lever, the curved guideway 36 isconcentric with the pivot-screw 36 and the slideblock 28 idly traverses said guideway, whereby the ruifling-blade 64 is normally stationary. The treadle-controlled rock-shaft 41 may be operated at will during the operation of the machine to swing the slide-block controlling guideway 38 into the position thereof determined by the stopscrew 58, whereby the rufiler-blade actuating mechanism is rendered effective. It will therefore be understood that the ruffler-blade actuating connections are dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of the slide-block 28 determined by the position of the guideway 39.

At the lower end of the stroke of the pitman 26, the pivotal connection of said pitman with the slide-block 28 is substantially in alinement with the turning-axis of the segment-lever 3|, the connections with the ruffler-blade carrier being such that the rufiIer-blade 64 reaches its extreme advanced position at the lower end of th stroke of the pitman 26. Consequently, the advance position of the rufflor-blade 64 is the same regardless of the length of stroke of said ruffler-blade determined by the extent of rearward tilting movement of the segment-lever 3! under treadle control.

From the foregoing, it will also be understood that the rufiier-blade, when idle, is in its advanced position. To provide the necessary workclearance under the idle ruffler-blade 6A, the serrated end of said ruffier-blade is slightly tilted upwardly by the engagement of the segmentlever arm 3! with the intermediate lever 19, thereby rocking the shaft 16 to depress the rod 19 lengthwise of the ruffier-blade carrier-arm 58. When the segment-lever 3| is angularly shifted into its effective position, the arm 8| thereof is moved away from the lever 19 to an extent permitting the spring 12 to raise the rod 10 sufficiently to clear the rufiler-blade carrier-foot 6|. Consequently, the serrated end of the rufiler-blade B4 is yieldingly depressed by the spring 65 whenever the rufiiing mechanism is in effective operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a ruiiling and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, a ruliler-blade carrier, a reciprocatory slide-block, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprccatng said slide-block, actuating connections with said ruifler-blade carrier dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said sl de-block, a shiftabie guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide'block, and means controllable at will during the operation of the mach ne for shifting said guideway.

2. In a ruilling and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, a rufiler-blade carrier, a reciprocatory slide-block, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connections with said rufiier-blade carrier dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, an angularly shiftable guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slideblock, and means controllable at will during the operation of the machine for angularly shifting said guideway.

3. In a rufiiing and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, 2. ruilier-blade carrier, a reciprocatory slide block, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connections with said ruflier-blade carrier dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a shiftab-le guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a stop defining a neutral position of said guideway wherein said rufiler-blade actuating connections are rendered ineffective, and means controllable at will during the operation of the machine for shifting said guideway into and out of neutral positions thereof.

4. In a ruffling and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, a ruflier-blade carrier, a reciprocatory slide-block, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connections with said rufller-blade carrier dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said silde-block, a shiftable guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a stop defining a normal neutral position of said guide- Way wherein said rufiler-blade actuating connections are rendered ineffective, means yieldingly biasing said guideway into said normal neutral position thereof and manually operable means for shifting said guideway out of its neutral position.

5. In a ruffling and stitching machine, in com bination, a rotary actuating shaft, a ruffler-blade carrier, a reciprocatory slide-block, operative con nections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connections with said ruiiler-blade carrier dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a shiftable guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, opposed stops for limiting shifting movement of said guideway, and means controllable at will during the operation of the machine for shifting said guideway from one to the other of said stops.

6. In a rufiling and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, a ruflier-blade carrier, a reciprocatory slide-block, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connections with said ruflier-blade carrier dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a shiftable guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a stop defining a, normal neutral position of said guideway wherein said ruffler-blade actuating connections are rendered ineffective, means yieldingly biasing said guideway into said normal neutral position defined by said stop, an opposed stop defining a position of maximum effectiveness of said guideway, and manually operable means for shifting said guideway into its position of maximum effectiveness.

'7. In a rufliing and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, a rufller-blade carrier, a reciprocatory slide-block, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connections with said rufiler-blade carrier dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, an angularly shiftable guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a. stop defining a normal neutral position of said guideway wherein said ruiiier-b-lade actuating connections are rendered ineffective, means yieldingly biasing said guideway into said normal neutral position defined by said stop, an opposed stop defining a position of maximum effectiveness of said guideway, and means operable at will during the operation of the machine for angularly shifting said guideway into its position of maximum effectiveness.

8. In a ruflling and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, an eccentric carried by said shaft, a vibratory ruiiier-blade carrier, a crank-arm operatively connected to vibrate said carrier, a normally stationary and angularly-shiftable segmental guideway, a slideblock disposed for reciprocation in said guideway, a pitman, embracing said eccentric and pivotally connected with said slide-block, a link pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said crank-arm and slide-block, said link corresponding in length to the radius of curvature of said segmental guideway, a stop determining a neutral position of said'guideway in which said reciprocatory slide-block is ineffective to rock said crank-arm,

' means yieldingly biasing said guideway into engagement with said stop, and manually operable means for at will shifting said guideway into a position thereof determining a path of movement of said slide-block efiective to actuate said ruflierblade carrier.

9. In a rufliing and stitching machine, in combination, a vibratory rufiier-blade carrier-arm, a ruffier-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said carrier-arm, a rufller-blade foot tilting rod slidably mounted upon said carrier-arm for movement endwise of said arm, and means for moving said rod into and out of rufiler-blade foot tilting position thereof.

10. In a rufliing and stitching machine, in combination, a vibratory ruffler-blade carrier-arm, a ruflier-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said carrier-arm, 'a ruffler-blade foot tilting rod slidably mounted upon said carrier-arm for movement endwise of said arm, operative connections normally effective to maintain said rod in a rufller-blade foot tilting position thereof, and manually controlled means for retracting said rod.

11. In a rufliing and stitching machine, in combination, a vibratory ruffler-blade carrier-arm, a miller-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said carrier-arm, normally inefiective actuating mechanism for said carrier-arm, a ruffler-blade foot tilting rod slidably mounted upon said carrier-arm for movement endwise of said arm,

means normally effective for maintaining said rod in rufiler-blade foot tilting position, and means for rendering said carrier-arm actuating mechanism efiective and simultaneously therewith for retracting said rod from ruffler-blade foot tilting position.

12. In a ruffling and stitching machine, in combination, a vibratory rufiier-blade carrier-arm, a ruffler-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said carrier-arm, a rufiler-blade foot tilting rod slidably mounted upon said carrier-arm for movement endwise of said arm, a rock-shaft, a member carried by said rock-shaft for engagement with said rod thereby to tilt said rufllerblade foot, and means for actuating said rockshaft. 7 V

13. In a willing and stitching machine, in combination, a vibratory ruffler-blade carrier-arm, a rufiier-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said carrier-arm, a rufiler-blade foot tilting rod slidably mounted upon said carrier-arm for movement endwise of said arm, a rock-shaft, a member carried by said rock-shaft for engagement with said rod, spring-biased connections for actuating said rock-shaft to tilt said ruffler-blade rock-shaft, means yieldingly biasing said tilting rod actuating rock-shaft in one direction to maintain said rod in ruffler-blade foot tilting position, and manually controlled means for releasing said tilting-rod actuating rock-shaft from said biasing means.

15. In a rufiling and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, a rufiler-blade actuating rock-shaft, a vibratory arm carried by said rock-shaft, a ruffler-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said arm, a reciprocatory slideblock, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connections between said slide-block and said rock-shaft dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a shiftable guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, means controllable at will during the operation of the machine for shifting said guideway, and ruffler-blade fot tilting connections dependent for effectiveness upon the slide-block influencing position of said guideshifting said guideway, a ruffler-blade foot tilt-' ing rod slidably mounted upon the arm of said rufller-blade actuating rock-shaft for movement endwise of said arm means yieldingly biasing said rod into retracted position, and means dependent for effectiveness upon the slide-block influencing position of said guideway f or maintaining said rod in rufiler-blade foot tilting position.

1'7. In a rufiiing and stitching machine, in combination, a rotary actuating shaft, a ruflier-blade actuating rock-shaft, a vibratory arm carried by Y said rock-shaft, a ruflier-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said arm, a reciprocatory slideblock, operative connections with said actuating shaft for reciprocating said slide-block, actuating connection between. said slide-block and said rock-shaft dependent for effectiveness upon the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, a shiftable guideway determining the path of reciprocation of said slide-block, means controllable at will during the operation of the machine for shifting said guideway, a rufiler-blade' foot tilting rod slidably mounted upon the arm of said ruilier-blade actuating rock-shaft for movement endwise of said arm, a tilting rod actuating rock-shaft disposed substantially parallel to said ruflier-blade actuating rock-shaft, and

connections dependent for effectiveness upon the shifting of said guideway for rocking said tiltingrod actuating rock-shaft.

18. A rufiiing and stitching machine having a frame including a bracket-arm terminating at one end in a head, a needle-bar journaled for reciprocation in said head, a rotary needle-reciprocating shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a ruliier-blade actuating rock-shaft journaled at the front lower side of said head and disposed substantially parallel to said needle-reciprocating 75 shaft, a ruflier-blade carrying arm depending from said rock-shaft, a ruifler-blade carrying foot pivotally attached to said arm, a crank-arm carried by said rock-shaft, normally ineffective ruffler-blade actuating connections between said needle-reciprocating shaft and said crank-arm, manually operable means for at will bringing said ruflier-blade actuating connections into efiective action, a bracket detachably secured upon said bracket-arm and together with said head housing said ruffler-blade actuating connections, and ruffier-blade tilting connections housed by said bracket.

19. A ruffling and stitching machine having a frame including a bracket-arm terminating at one end in a head, a needle-bar journaled. for reciprocation in said head, a rotary needle-reciprocating shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a primary bracket-section extending from said head and provided with a lubricant reservoir, a ruffier-blade actuating rock-shaft extending into said reservoir, a vibratory arm carried by and depending from said rock-shaft, a ruffler-blade carried by said arm, a crank-arm carried by the end of said rock-shaft within said lubricant-reservoir, normally inefiective miller-blade actuating connections between said needle-reciprocating shaft and said rock-shaft crank-arm, manually operable means for at Will bringing said ruflierblade actuating connections into effective action, a complementary bracket-section detachably secured upon said bracket-arm, said complementary bracket-section together with said primary bracket-sootion and bracket-arm providing a. housing for said actuating mechanism, and means extending into said reservoir for supplying lubricant to mechanism within said housing.

FREDERIC M. CARD.

CERTIFICATE OF* CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,169, 5790 August 5, 959- FREDERIC M. CARD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1', second column, line L T, after the words "carried by" insert the ape-ratured head ofascrew threaded into; page 1 second column, line 20, claim 15, for

"fot' read foot; line 55, claim 17, for "connection" read connections; and

that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of September, A. Do 1959.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

